Roller skate having resilient truck mounting with lubricated ball joint connection



2,797,926 G RESILIENT TRUCK MOUNTING TION July 2, 1957 c. E. SWENSSON ROLLER SKATE HAVIN WITH LUBRICATED BALL JOINT CONNEC Filed Jan. 22, 1951 GOa FIG.4

FIG. 5

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INVENTOR. CARL EINAR SWENSSON fi BY M /MMM/ATT Y United States Patent 2,797,926 Patented July 2, 1957 fiFice ROLLER SKATE HAVING RESILIENT TRUCK MOUNTING WITH LUBRICATED BALL JOINT CONNECTION Carl Einar Swensson, Kenmore, N. Y. Application January 22, 1951, Serial No. 287,136 Claims. (Cl. 280-1128) This invention relates to roller skates, particularly those used by dance, exhibition and figure skaters, and is in the nature of an improvement upon the skate disclosed in my copending application S. N. 695,178, filed September 6, 1946, now Patent #2,547,796 of April 3, 1951.

An object of the invention is to generally improve the construction and performance of roller skates.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved roller skate which will more eflectively enable a skater to execute various desired skating movements with ease and safety; which will withstand the heavy and varying stresses to which the hanger units are subjected; which will retain the advantages of the skates disclosed in my said prior copending application; and which is practical and relatively simple and inexpensive in construction.

Another object is to provide simple and effective means for adjusting the rocking angle of the hanger units.

in the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a roller skate constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of the same;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation through one of the hanger units of the same;

Fig. 4 is a plan of one strut that is advantageously used between the hanger units;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the strut; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are a plan and elevation respectively of another strut also advantageously used between the hanger units.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the skate includes a base plate 1 of light metal which is secured in any suitable or usual manner to the bottom or sole and heel of a shoe 2. Secured in any suitable manner to the under face of plate 1 is a generally U-shaped strip or channel 3 of light metal, which extends lengthwise of the plate 1 approximately from end to end thereof. This channel 3 has lateral flanges 4 extending hori- I zontally and outwardly from the upper edges of the side walls of the channel and abutting the plate 1. The forward end of the channel 3 is open, and in it is slidingly disposed a brake member 5 which extends forwardly of the channel and terminates in a brake head with an oblique braking face 6 that faces forwardly and downwardly. When a skater tilts the shoe, with attached skate to apply the face 6 to the floor, it acts as a brake to stop the movement of the skate. The brake member 5 is provided with a, plurality of transverse, parallel passages 7, arranged in succession along its length, and the side walls of channel 3 are apertured, to receive a cotter pin 8 which also passes through any one of the passages 7 that is brought into alignment with it as the member 5 is shifted forwardly from time to time to compensate for wear and place the oblique friction face 6 in proper braking position or to suit the individual wishes of the skater.

Rolling units 9 and 10 are arranged in tandem, forwardly and rearwardly, on the bottom of the base plate 1. Each unit includes an axle 11 disposed transversely of the channel 3 and carried by a truck or hanger 12. A platform 13 and an arm 14 extend in opposite directions, forwardly and rearwardly, from the truck or hanger 12. The platform 13 is apertured and through it loosely passes a rod or screw 15 which extends upwardly through an aperture in channel 3 and is threaded into a metal anchorage block 16 carried on the under face of plate 1 and within channel 3. A lock nut 17 which also acts as a collar with depending prongs 17A may be threaded on rod 15 to abut, with washer 15A, against the under face of the channel and form an abutment. The nut, together with the channel, block, and sole plate, may be considered collectively as a base element. Disposed between platform 13 and nut 17 is a tubular, elastic cushion or member 18, such as of soft, elastic rubber or rubber substitute, with the rod 15 passing through the passage of the member 18. This element is preferably made of 2 sections 18A and 18B disposed end to end. The upper section 18B has greater resistance to compression than section 18A. Another tubular elastic member 19 of soft rubber like section 18A, is disposed on the rod 15 beneath and abutting endwise against the platform 13. A nut 20 is threaded on rod 1:5 to confine the cushion 19 to platform 13, and a lock nut 21 may be provided on rod 15 to abut against nut 29. The prongs 17A indent into the upper end of cushion section 18B to hold that cushion section from rotation on screw 15. The opposite faces of the platform 13 are also provided with similar prongs or projections 22 that are pressed into the ends of cushion section 18A and cushion 19 to resist rotation of each of cushions 18A and 19 on the platform, base element and rod 15. By adjusting rod 15 into and out of hanger or block 16, the platform may be forced toward or allowed to move away from the base element, and yieldingly and resiliently confine the platform to the base element.

The arm is provided with a tubular boss 23, Fig. 3, having a generally vertical passage 24. A post 25 slides in said boss and passage, and at its upper end terminates in a ball-like head 26. Post 25 carries a lateral flange 26A beneath the head 26, and on the shank of the post and abutting flange 26 is a washer 27 with its peripheral edge flanged away from the head 26. A tubular elastic member or cushion 28, similar to cushion section 18A, is confined on the shank of post 25 within the flange on the washer and between the washer 27 and the arm 14, to resiliently resist approach of arm 14 towards the base element. The shank of post 25 has a central passage 29 from just above its free or lower end to an upper end that opens centrally of the convex head 26, and a plurality of branch passages 30 connect passage 29 with the bearing in passage 24. The lower face of elastic cushion or member 28 is recessed to receive the boss 23 over which it telescopes slightly.

The block 16 is provided with a recess 31 opening downwardly, and the bottom of channel 3 has an aperture of at least the same diameter and aligned therewith. An abutment member or socket part 32 passes upwardly through the aperture in the bottom of the channel and is threaded into recess 31 to adjustable extents. The outer end of member 32 has a non-circular periphery 33 to facilitate rotation of that member to move it into and out of recess 31. A look nut 33A on part 32 engages channel 3 to hold the part 32 from unintentional rotation. The lower face of member 32 is provided with a concave recess 34 in which head 26 of post 25 is received for rocking. By turning the member 32, the rocking surface for the post head 25 may be shifted toward and from the shoe sole, and threading the rod 15 simultaneously with 32 or by itself into and out of the block 16 moves the axle toward and from the sole.

Rollers or wheels 25 are rotatably confined on: the

axle to rollingly support the hanger units 9 and 10. The unit 9 has the post 25 at the rear of the axle, and in unit 10 the post 25 is forwardly of the axle.

The rocking angle determined generally by a theoretical line passing through the center of the head 26 and the aperture in the platform 13, in which the skaters control of the skate largely depends, may be quickly regulated by adjustment of the socket part 32 into and out of the block 13. This adjustment raises or lowers the rocking seat for the ball head in its relation to the other rocking point which is located at the aperture in the platform 13 that remains fixed. When an extensive adjustment of the rocking angle is desired, the elastic member 28 may be exchanged for one of different thickness in order to keep the platform 13 and arm 3A in level alignment.

In order to strengthen the units, a strut 36 may be secured on the lower end of the screws of the two units. This strut may be a metal tube with its ends fiat ened, and apertured to receive the screw. Where the skate may be subjected to unusually rough treatment, as when used for professional dance skaters, another strut 37 may be connected to the lower end of the screw 15 of the forward unit 10 and the upper end of the screw 15 of the rearmost unit 9. This strut may advantageously be made of a flat strip of sheet metal, with a longitudinal corrugation 38 in a face between the uncorrugated flat ends that are apertured to receive the screws 15. The flat end area of strut 37 that engages with the lower end of screw 15 of unit 10, may have prongs 39 on its face which abut the end of elastic member 19 to hold that member 19 from rotation on the screw. The flat end of strut 36 which engages with the screw 15 of the rearmost unit 9 may also have prongs 40 (see Figs. 4 and 5) on its upper face to abut against and indent into the lower end of elastic member 19 to keep that member from turning on the screw 15. If strut 37 is omitted, then the upper face of the forward flat end of the strut 36 should also have prongs 40 (see Figs. 4 and 5) to indent into the lower end of elastic member 19 of unit 10 and hold that member from rotation on screw 15.

The passage 29 may continue to the lower end of post 25 and be closed by a screw plug 41. The passage 29 and recess 31 may contain wicking 42 to hold a liquid lubricant and feed it to the sliding bearing of post 25 in passage 24.

It will be understood that various changes in the details and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art, within the principle and scope of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A roller skate for attachment to the bottom of a shoe, comprising a base element, a pair of hanger units confined to the lower face of said element in tandem relation forwardly and rearwardly thereof, each unit having an axle, a body mounting said axle crosswise of the length of the element, and having an arm and an apertured platform extending in opposite directions from the axle, one forwardly and one rearwardly, said arm having a passage from face to face, a post sliding endwise of itself in said passage, with a ball-like head at its upper end, a flange beneath the head, and a duct in its interior extending from an open end in said head into the portion within said passage and there having a lateral opening into said passage, an elastic, tubular. member disposed between said arm and said flange, with the shank of the post passing through said member, the base element having a downwardly opening socket in which said post head is rockably received, and also having a lubricant reservoir opening through the surface of said socket to pass lubricant to said duct, means for yieldingly and resiliently confining said platform to said base element, and wheels confined on said axles.

2. A roller skate for attachment to the bottom of a shoe, comprising a base element, a pair of hanger units confined to the lower face of said element in tandem relation forwardly and rearwardly thereof, each unit having an axle, a body mounting said axle crosswise of the length of the element, and having an arm and an apertured platform extending in opposite directions from the axle, one forwardly and one rearwardly, said arm having a passage from face to face, a post sliding endwise of itself in said passage, with a ball-like head at its upper end, a flange beneath the head, and a duct in its interior extending into the portion within said passage and there having a lateral opening into said passage, an elastic, tubular member disposed between said arm and said flange, with the shank of the post passing through said member, said duct having an exterior opening through said head to receive a lubricant, the base element having a downwardly opening socket in which said post head is rockably received, and having a lubricant reservoir opening downwardly through the bearing surface of said socket to meet said duct opening in said head, a tubular cushion element disposed between said base element and platform, means for confining said last named cushion element under compression to said base element, and wheels confined on said axles.

3. A roller skate for attachment to the bottom of a shoe, comprising a base element, a pair of hanger units confined to the lower face of said element in tandem relation forwardly and rearwardly thereof, each unit having an axle, a body mounting said axle crosswise of the length of the element, and having an arm and an apertured platform extending generally horizontally in opposite directions from the axle, one forwardly and one rearwardly, said arm having a passage from face to face, a post sliding endwise of itself in said passage, with a ball-like head at its upper end, said post and its head having a lubricating passage opening thru the head, extending therefrom lengthwise of the post into that portion thereof sliding in said arm and there opening thru the side of the post into said passage of said arm, a flange beneath the head, a resilient interponent disposed between said flange and said arm to resiliently resist approach of said arm towards said ball-like head, a tubular, elastic cushion disposed between the upper face of said platform and said base element, another tubular, elastic cushion disposed against the lower face of said platform, and an adjustable member passing through said elastic cushions and said platform for confining them in assembled relation and for pressing said platform towards said base element to compress said cushions under adjustable pressure and confine them against lateral displacement, said base element having, in its lower face, a downwardly opening concave seat in which said post head is rockably received, and also having a lubricant reservoir above the seat and also having a passage from said reservoir opening downwardly through said seat.

4. A roller skate for attachment to the bottom of a shoe, comprising a base element, a pair of hanger units confined to the lower face of said element in tandem relation forwardly and rearwardly thereof, each unit having an axle, a body mounting said axle crosswise of the length of the element, and having an arm and an apertured platform extending in opposite and generally horizontal directions from the axle, one forwardly and one rearwardly, said arm having a passage from face to face, a post sliding endwise of itself in said passage, with a ball-like head at its upper end, a flange beneath the head, a resilient interponent disposed between said flange and said arm to resiliently resist approach of said arm towardssaid ball-like head, a tubular, elastic cushion disposed between the upper face of said platform and said base element, another tubular, elastic cushion disposed against the lower face of said platform, and an adjustable member passing through said elastic cushions and said platform for confining them in assembled relation and for pressing said platform towards said base element to compress said cushions under adjustable pressure and confine them against lateral displacement, said base element having, in its lower face, a downwardly opening recess, a socket part confined in said recess and adjustable inwardly and outwardly, said socket part having a downwardly facing, concave seat in which said post head is rockably received, and also a passage endwise therethrough and opening through said seat, said post having a passage opening through the portion of said head that engages in said seat, extending downwardly in the post to and opening thru the side of the post in the portion sliding in the arm passage.

5. A roller skate comprising a base element, a pair of hanger units confined to the lower face of said element in tandem relation forwardly and rearwardly thereof, each unit having an axle, a body mounting said axle crosswise of the length of said element, and having an arm and a platform extending in opposite directions from the axle, one forwardly and the other rearwardly, said arm having a passage from face :to face, a post sliding endwise of itself in said passage, with a ball-like head at its upper end, a flange beneath the head, and a duct in its interior extending through the head and along the post to the portion within said passage and there having a lateral opening into said passage, an elastic tubular member confined between said arm and said flange, a socket member adjustable vertically in said base element and at its lower end having a concave, partially spherical bearing set in which said head seats and rocks, said socket member having a passage endwise and communicating at its lower end with the opening of said duct through said head, and elastic means for confining said platform to said element and resiliently opposing movement of the platform toward and from the base element, and wheels confined on said axles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 302,503 Lincoln July 22, 1884 331,302 Johnson et al Dec. 1, 1885 333,583 Yarger Jan. 5, 1886 1,933,972 Dekome NOV. 7, 1933 2,195,348 Wisely Mar. 26, 1940 2,233,355 Ware Feb. 25, 1941 2,285,373 Wall June 2, 1942 2,429,678 Fuller Oct. 28, 1947 2,490,849 Wagner Dec. 13, 1949 2,490,850 Wagner Dec. 13, .1949 2,510,722 Snyder June 6, 1950 2,547,796 Swenson Apr. 3, 1951 2,558,696 Van Horn June 26, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,840 Great Britain July 14, 1876 

